Reluctant (Cascadia Wolves)

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years
of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: RELUCTANT

Copyright ? LAUREN DANE, 2006

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Across
the room, Sid Rosario watched the tall, very busty redhead enter the room
and sit down. Her hair was tousled around her shoulders like she?d just
rolled out of bed and very big china-blue eyes took in the room around
them. And damn, but the woman did leather pants well enough to make him
want to lick her like a giant ice-cream cone.

?Who
is that?? Sid asked his cousin Adam.

Adam
peered around Sid?s shoulder and smiled. ?The tall one with the red hair is
Layla Warden. The petite one is Tia Mathers. Layla is Pack royalty. She?s the oldest daughter. Tia?s
just smoking hot.?

?I?m
not interested in her pedigree. But I?d sure like to get to know her
better. You know either one of them?? Sid could not take his eyes from
Layla Warden?s mouth with that shiny red lipstick painting it. His cock
throbbed in anticipation as a picture of red lipstick marks at the base of
it flashed through his mind. Lipstick kisses on his cock, yeah, that
worked.

?Ah,
it?s like that, is it? Well, many have tried and failed. She?s a bit cool.
But yeah, Tia and I dated a few times. Let?s go. I?ll introduce you.? Adam
stood up and Sid followed.

?Ah,
so soon?? Tia murmured to Layla. ?Adam Rosario. I have very fond naked
memories of him. And who is that with him??

Layla
looked up from the menu and locked gazes with tall, dark and dangerous. The
man just oozed rebellion. Short black hair, a row of earrings in his right
ear. Nautica had a strict dress code but despite
the black jeans and the button-down shirt, she was sure the guy lived in
ripped jeans and Clash T-shirts.

So
utterly not her type. This thought seemed to escape her as she looked into
those big hazel eyes.

?Tia,
gorgeous. Long time no see.?

Tia smiled
up at Adam and batted her lashes a bit. ?Hi, Adam.?

?Hey,
Layla. You look great too. Can we join you??

Tia
accepted before Layla could speak. But she wouldn?t have refused anyway.
Mr. Rebel made her all tingly. And it had been a while. Four months to be
exact.

?This
is my cousin, Sid. He?s visiting here for a few weeks. Sid, this is Tia Mathers and Layla Warden.?

Sid
shook hands with Tia and smiled at her, but it was fleeting compared to the
full-on, deep, soul-shaking look he gave Layla. Taking her hand, he kissed
the knuckles and the warmth of his lips shot straight to her pussy.

?It?s
very nice to meet you, Layla. I like that name. Is it??

?Yes.
My parents were big Eric Clapton fans when I was conceived. Let?s speak of
it no more.?

Her smile
was flirtatious and Sid smiled back.

?So
what are you doing while you visit? Where do you call home?? Layla felt
like she couldn?t get enough of looking at him.

The
server came and took their orders and Sid watched as she sipped her drink.

He
cleared his throat. ?I?m doing a mural?I?m an artist. I live in Tucson. And what do
you do??

?I?m
in financial services. I do portfolio planning.?

His
eyebrows rose.

?What?
Too Yuppie for you??

He
laughed. ?No, not at all. I love smart women. I?m impressed.?

She relaxed.

All
through dinner she felt herself pulled under his spell. Each time he
reached out to grab the salt or his beer, he?d touch her in some small way.
His total attention was on her at every moment. His voice was low and
seductive, an aural caress. When she spoke, he listened intently, clearly
interested in what she had to say.

And
she couldn?t deny she was fascinated by him. Watched his hands move
expressively while he talked about his work. Saw the delightful light in
his eyes, making it clear he loved what he did. He flattered her and made
her laugh.

There
was no doubt for either of them that they?d end up in bed. She liked that
his surety wasn?t smug or smarmy. He was a sexy guy in town for a few
weeks?the perfect fling. She certainly had no plans to stop the inevitable.

Walking
out to the cars, he pulled her aside. ?Can I give you a ride home? Or would
you like to come back to my hotel??

The
salt air of low tide tickled her senses along with his scent. Male werewolf
did indeed smell hella good to her, and nary a
mullet in sight.

?Where
are you staying??

?The
Alexis.?

?Let
me just tell Tia. I?ll be right back.?

He
watched as she walked over to her friend and hugged her goodbye. Tia winked
at her, and amused, Sid saw Layla give her friend the finger.

?Let?s
go.?

?